She’d been watching for clues and mentally logging them. In fact, when she commented on an article she’d read about the safety of Range Rovers a few weeks ago, he’d said, “Let’s get matching ones. It’ll be you and me and a house with a white picket fence.”
So yes, family was on his mind.
Five hours had passed, and Hugh hadn’t called back. After her glass of rosé, Sylvia had decided a relaxing bath was in order. She needed to chill. It wasn’t odd that he hadn’t called back immediately. He was catching up with an old friend. But a feeling of unrest nagged at her. It was that sense of losing control she’d first experienced on Sunday over the buttermilk biscuits. Her synapses began firing at once. She needed to speak to him tonight if she wanted to solidify their relationship.
“A virtual whirlwind romance,” she had told her friend Belinda at work. They’d been in the office kitchen the morning after her third date with Hugh. It was there, huddled by the watercooler, that Sylvia had filled her in.
Over a candlelit dinner at his apartment, Hugh had looked at her with a moony gaze and said, Dammit, Sylvia. What kind of spell have you put on me? I’m in love with you.
She’d almost laughed. Of course he would fall under her spell. It was inevitable, really. Becoming what someone wanted was simple if you were observant enough. “I love you too. You’re everything I want in a man.”
How easy it had been.
And now, here she was, sitting on the sofa in her scoop-neck T-shirt, alone. No doubt she enjoyed the solo time, but eventually, this would have to change. It wouldn’t be too difficult—a comment here about crowded airports, a word there about scratchy hotel sheets, and voilà—he would come to the conclusion on his own that the traveling was becoming tedious.
She hadn’t wanted to call when he was still with his friend. That would’ve been obnoxious. So she’d waited. Now, with one finger, she clicked his name to make the call.
It went straight to voice mail. Blergh.
She should’ve texted in the first place.
Hey, you. Call me before you go to sleep. xo
It was hard not to stare at the screen, waiting for those three dots to appear. She flipped her phone facedown. A watched pot never boils and all that.
Minutes ticked by. She crossed the small room to the bathroom. If she got busy brushing her teeth, he’d respond. As she took her toothbrush from the medicine cabinet, her phone rang. She smiled at herself in the bathroom mirror. “Wish me luck,” she said with a wink.
She padded back to the sofa and reached for her phone. “Hey, love. I was hoping to hear your voice before I slip into bed.”
“Hey,” he said in a hushed tone. “Sorry I didn’t answer before. I was driving back to the hotel.”
“You stayed at your friend’s house for a long time. And why are you talking so softly?”
“Paper-thin walls in this hotel.”
“I suppose it’s good I’m not there with you. We’d wake everyone on your floor.”
He breathed out a laugh. “Yeah. No kidding.”
Sylvia pulled a throw blanket around her. “So how old is your friend’s baby?”
“Uh, a few months?”
“Did you get to hold him?”
“Yeah. Cute kid.”
She smiled into the phone. “I think you like babies.”
“I hear they’re great until they’re teenagers.”
“We should have one.”
“What?” he asked in a loud whisper.
“A baby. You and I should have a baby. Start a little family of our own.”
“Wow. Uh, I, um . . .”
She waited an uncomfortable second and laughed. “Oh, Hugh. Don’t go all serious on me,” she said playfully, even though his response had been less than desirable. Getting what she wanted would take strategy, patience, and perhaps, above all, a willingness to appear lighthearted and sunny. “I’m just throwing it out there. By the way,” she started in a more somber tone, “I’m also thinking about getting a pet. Do you like cats?”
“Cats? I guess so. And about this baby thing, are you serious?”
She smiled at the frustration in his voice. He would think about babies all night long. Perfect.
“Just thinking aloud. We can talk more tomorrow. Sleep well.”
“I’ll try. We have a big presentation in the morning, but I want to see you when I get home. My flight will be in at four. How about you come by at five thirty?”
“I’ll be there.”
“Good night.”
She let the phone fall to her lap as she reviewed their conversation. It had gone moderately well, all things considered. But the whispering had been annoying.
Well, there was a world of potential reasons for his actions. It wouldn’t serve her to make something up. Better to store the tidbit and pull it out later if necessary. If there was one thing she’d learned, it was to always remain one step ahead.
CHAPTER FIVE
Friday, March 10
Embry unbuckled Kylie from the car seat and helped her out of the car before grabbing Carson’s infant seat and the brand-new twenty-dollar sink plunger. The man at the hardware store insisted it would do the trick. “If it doesn’t fix her up, bring it on back, and I’ll give you a refund.” She certainly hoped the stupid overpriced thing would work. Regardless, she would send Jonathan the bill. It was too bad the sink hadn’t conked out earlier when she could’ve told him in person.
As it was, she’d woken to find the kitchen sink full of dirty water. Even after resetting the garbage disposal, it wouldn’t drain. She’d fled to the hardware store with both kids in tow while Brandon slept, desperate for a solution. It was unsettling when anything was awry in her little haven. She hadn’t even bothered to do her makeup. It wasn’t like she’d see anyone she knew at the hardware store.
She hadn’t considered she’d run into someone at the complex, but there Sylvia was, her heels clicking on the stairs. Of course she was dressed like an imposing businesswoman, which made Embry all too aware of how sloppy she looked. She waved half-heartedly.
“Good morning,” Sylvia called. “You’re out and about bright and early.”
Kylie scampered across the driveway. “We bought a jabber!”
Sylvia glanced at her with a raised brow. “How nice for you! What is a jabber?”
“She means a plunger. My sink is clogged, and I went out and bought a sink plunger. I didn’t know they existed, but the guy at the hardware store said to give it a try.”
“Ambitious. It’s only eight o’clock, and you’ve already been there and back?”
Embry held in a laugh. If she only knew how long days with kids really were. “Yes, we wake up early at my house.” She flattened a hand against the loose strands of her ponytail. “Anyway, have a good day.” She watched as Sylvia headed for her car. It was a little red convertible. What would it be like to be so free, to have no one but yourself to worry about? Sylvia was older than she was by a decade, but Embry felt like she was the older one, weighted down with a responsibility so big, she might topple beneath it. She snapped her gaze back to Kylie. Goodness! Weighted down sounded all wrong. Her children were a blessing. This growing baby was a blessing! Some people tried for years and could never have children. Shaking her head, she gripped Carson’s infant seat and walked into her apartment, reminding Kylie to keep quiet so they wouldn’t wake Daddy. He’d gotten home after three, which she hadn’t been expecting. Poor thing! It wasn’t uncommon for the bar to be booked for a special event, making it so he’d get home in the wee hours. He’d probably just forgotten to mention it to her. Heaven knows their lives were busy.